While I practice Western medicine, I have always been interested in eastern medicine and concepts, considering that many eastern practices have been around for thousands of years. I've read tidbits about eastern medicine and took a brief Complementaty and Alternative Medicine class in grad school, but recently started reading up more about
Ayurvedic medicine, out of India. Ayurveda deals with "doshas"-vata, pitta, kapha- and the balance between them. If your doshas are unbalanced, it can lead to symptoms and disease.
I've struggled with mild anxiety pretty much my whole life and a therapist recommended a series of books,
The Chemistry of Calm and
The Chemistry of Joy, by Henry Emmons, MD (
http://www.partnersinresilience.com/) The books are about combining western and eastern practices to overcome anxiety, depression, and have a better lifestyle in general, through holistic and integrative practices.
| vata | pitta | kapha |
| ELEMENT | Air and Ether | Fire | Earth and Water |
| QUALITIES | Dry, rough, cool, mobile | Hot, light | Heavy, moist, cool, stable |
| OUT OF BALANCE | Flighty, worried, fearful | Irritable, judgmental | Lethargic, stubborn, prone to overeating |
| IN BALANCE | Creative, lively | Motivated, purposeful | Stable, thoughtful, compassionate |
| PRONE TO | Constipation, lower back pain, anxiety, joint problems | Acne, diarrhea | Sinus problems, respiratory diseases, inflammation |
| Vata Imbalance | Pitta Imbalance | Kapha Imbalance |
| Symptoms | Prone to distraction, anxiety, worry, weight loss, teeth grinding, insomnia, constipation | Bouts of anger, outbursts, criticism, migraines, ulcers, inflamed skin, burning hands and feet | Stubborn, lethargic, possessive, depressed, prone to overeating |
| Friendly Foods | Warming foods, like rice, wheat, nuts, and milk products. Avoid raw and airy foods, like popcorn. | Cooling foods, like cucumbers, melons, and dates. Avoid spicy and astringent foods, like chili peppers, radishes, tomatoes, cranberries, and grapefruits. | Artichokes, eggplant, broccoli, cherries, cranberries, and pears. Avoid sweets and nuts. |
| Healing Herbs & Scents | Ginger, cinnamon, cardamom | Jasmine, lavender, rose | Rosemary, frankincense |
| Calming Yoga | Slow, meditative practice, including Mountain Pose, Tree Pose, Child’s Pose, and Plow Pose | Gentle vinyasa or restorative yoga, including twists and seated forward folds | Vigorous movement, including Sun Salutation, backbends, and inversions |
The charts above show the 3 doshas, their characteristics and what happens when they are out of balance.
I decided to read up on the chapters that deal with Ayurvedic medicine and wisdom. I found that I am a "Vata" or Air type. This type is described as light and thin with dry hair/skin, cold hands and feet, quick random movements, craves sweets, salty/sour foods, prefers hot drinks, irregular bowel habits, inconsistant daily routine, light/scattered sleep. Most of these are spot on about me!When my dominant dosha is under stress and out of balance, I become constipated, have a restless mind, scattered/erratic routine, fearful, nervous, trouble sleeping and I am prone to anxious depression. That sounds about right!A few key points that I learned are that I need to eliminate stimulants such as caffeine and excess sugar from my diet-this is going to be the hardest for me to do because I LOVE COFFEE, CHOCOLATE and sugar in general.Winter and fall are the worse seasons for me due to the cold and that is when I am more prone to imbalance (so true). My main issue is self acceptance and confidence, which is the one personality trait I have always felt I had to work on the most.
My "Prescription" to help keep my dosha in balance included a list of foods that are good to eat, esp hot drinks, soups/stews, lots of proteins and moderation with sweets. I should keep a consistant schedule. I need warm showers/baths/saunas to keep balanced and should drink warm vs cold beverages throughout the day. In terms of activity, I should be doing yoga, being active outdoors and getting plenty of sunlight. Sound is an important sense to the Vata types and I should be listening to calming music and watching light, romantic movies.
Interesting. I think that I can do that. I want to try some of the recommendations for keeping my doshas aligned to see if that helps with some of my anxiety and health in general. I have heard many of these things before when it comes to anxiety, so these are nothing new to me, just a reinforcement of what I need to do.
There are many sites and books out there about Ayruveda and quizes to help you "find your dosha". Here is one website with an easy to take quiz to help you find your dosha!
What is Your Dosha?
